ACR 227: Black Women’s Equal Pay Day.

WHEREAS, More than half a century after the passage of the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963, women still struggle to receive equal pay for equal work. Women earn only 80 cents to every dollar a man earns; and

WHEREAS, Equal Pay Day on April 2 marks the time when women, on average, catch up to the wages paid to men from the previous year; however, women of color suffer the greatest consequences from pay discrimination; and

WHEREAS, African American women earn about 61 cents on the dollar; therefore, they must work eight additional months to catch up with the amount that men made the previous year; and

WHEREAS, These wage disparities exist for many reasons, including gender and racial discrimination, workplace harassment, and a lack of workplace policies that support family caregiving, which all too often falls on women; and

WHEREAS, The wage gap significantly impacts poverty among African American women and families. More than 80 percent of Black mothers are breadwinners for their families, and nearly one-third of those families live below the poverty level; and

WHEREAS, According to a report by the National Partnership for Women and Families, if the wage gap were eliminated, Black women working full time would have enough money each year to afford an additional two years of tuition at a four-year public university, two years of childcare, or 23 months of rent, approximately; and

WHEREAS, Today, millions of African American women and families are living in poverty and struggling to get by. Their hard work is devalued simply because of their gender and the color of their skin; and

WHEREAS, A lifetime of lower pay means African American women have less income to save for their education, housing, families, and retirement; and

WHEREAS, In order to address this persistent problem, both public and private data gathering is needed so that gaps can be better identified and addressed; and

WHEREAS, As evidenced by the work of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, equitable pay policies can be implemented simply and without undue costs or hardship in both the public and private sectors; and

WHEREAS, Fair pay strengthens the financial security of individuals and families, enhances the economy, and reduces the need for the public safety net; and

WHEREAS, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day on July 21 symbolizes the time in 2026 when the wages paid to African American women catch up to the wages paid to men in 2025; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature proclaims July 21, 2026, as Black Women’s Equal Pay Day in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by African American women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.